In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by ELAC. ELAC Concentro S 507.2 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the CBS503.2 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of ELAC Concentro S507.2 and ELAC Concentro S503.2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
ELAC Concentro S507.2 Key Specs
- 4-way Design
- " JET 6 AMT Tweeter
- 7" Midrange
- 4 x 6" Aluminium sandwich (AS) Woofer
- 24-50k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:60-500watts
- Weight:37.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 48-1/16" x 10-5/8" x 14-15/16" ( 1220.0 x 270.0 x 380.0mm )
ELAC Concentro S503.2 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- " JET 6 AMT Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 7" AS-XR aluminium sandwich Woofer
- 5" Midrange
- Frequency response not specified
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:60-500watts
- Weight:13.40kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 15-3/4" x 8-7/8" x 14-5/8" ( 400.0 x 225.0 x 372.0mm )
CFS507.2 and CBS503.2 are members of ELAC's Concentro 2.0 series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
ELAC Concentro 2.0 Series
History
What size room are the ELAC Concentro S507.2 and ELAC Concentro S503.2 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
ELAC Concentro S507.2 |
ELAC Concentro S503.2 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the ELAC Concentro S507.2 and ELAC Concentro S503.2 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that CFS507.2 is a 4-way design whereas the CBS503.2 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
ELAC Concentro S507.2 |
ELAC Concentro S503.2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
4-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 7-inch |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 6-inch
|
1 x 7-inch
|
CFS507.2 features a " Folded ribbon foil JET 6 AMT Tweeter , a 7" Midrange and 4 x 6" Aluminium sandwich (AS) Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 120/400/2600Hz. On the other hand, the CBS503.2 features a " Folded ribbon foil JET 6 AMT Tweeter , a 5" Midrange and 1 x 7" AS-XR aluminium sandwich Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400/2600Hz.
Frequency Response
CFS507.2 has a frequency range of 24-50k Hz whereas CBS503.2 has a frequency range of . With a minimum frequency of Hz, the CBS503.2 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the CFS507.2's min frequency of 24Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Impedance and Sensitivity
CFS507.2 and CBS503.2 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. CFS507.2 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the CBS503.2's is at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the ELAC Concentro S507.2 a more sensitive speaker compared to ELAC Concentro S503.2, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the CFS507.2 and the CFS507.2 can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
CFS507.2 and CBS503.2 has the same power range of 60-500 watts.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both CFS507.2 and CBS503.2 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare ELAC Concentro S507.2's and ELAC Concentro S503.2's external dimensions. ELAC Concentro S507.2 has external dimensions of 1220.0 x 270.0 x 380.0mm ( 48-1/16 x 10-5/8 x 14-15/16inch) whereas ELAC Concentro S503.2 has external dimensions of 400.0 x 225.0 x 372.0mm ( 15-3/4 x 8-7/8 x 14-5/8inch) .
ELAC Concentro S507.2 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 45mm wider, 820mm taller and 8mm deeper than ELAC Concentro S503.2.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the ELAC Concentro S507.2 is approximately 1026.0cm2 / 159.0inch2 and base area of the ELAC Concentro S503.2 is approximately 837.0cm2 / 129.7inch2. The CFS507.2 requires 23% more surface area than the CBS503.2 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.